Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-02

hoplJiutns. hittI
which he babe the ladies good evening
and beat a hasty retreat and followed
his parents into the house.
at would be amusing il he were to
have fallen in love after all, said Ma
dame Amboise, as the door Of the Mai.
son Lacambre closed. at would be
really very funny"
at would be still more funny" said
Gabrielle, "if any one had fallen in
love with him. Ma, fol, ma tante. he
is painfully plain at close quarters !;
fancy having to sit opposite to such
face every day of ones life !"
" | meant no allusion to his looks"
replied Madame Amboise somewhat Sc
verely, " he has other attractions and
have no doubt that if he did make
an offer to any woman he would more
probably be accepted than refused"
" Good heavens, ma tante, how could
he make an offer OF marriage? He
scarcely knows how to talk to woman.
Did any one ever hear such wooden re-
marks as he makes ?"
"Ah well, Gabrielle, you no doubt
can afford TO be critical-you, who are
so richly endowed, can require every
man who goes a-wooing to have a fine
face, a good figure, brilliant wits, and
a handsome fortune ; but let me tell you
that girl Of sense prefers the solid to
the trivial.
"Ah well, ma tante," returned Ga
brielle, unmoved by the sarcasm OF
this reproof, ait will be time enough
TO scold me for deprecating Monsieur
Adolphe when he comes wooing me. In
the mean time it matters very little
what ! think or say of him."
Perhaps Monsieur Adolphe's devotion
to the Amboise children was genuine !;
anyhow, it was extremely well assumed.
He lost no time in renewing his &C
quaintance with them and in laying
siege to such of their affections as was
to be won by lavish presents Of bon
bons and toys.
"He's not half bad" commented the
children in the course of fortnight,
although he looks such an old fogy.
He met us yesterday afternoon up at
st. Antoine, and he bought us lot of
peaches out of the garden of the woman
who keeps the wax-candles for the
shrine, and we sat ON the grass by the
chapel steps and ate them. Oh it's
grand fun when Monsieur Adolphe
meets us out for walk. He talks to
Gabrielle, and we do just as We please.
Gabrielle never looks at us,
1t was quite true. Monsieur Adoiphe
had a wonderful gift of meeting with
the Amboise party zen promenade" "
and then OF finding n good reason to
join them-or, rather, to join Ga
brielle-while the children ran helter-
skelter behind and before them. More
over, in the evening after dinner he In
variably joined the group of ladies in
the courtyard in preference to stroll
ing out along the boulevards with his
father and the Command. mt.
1t was very evident whittier all this
was tending, and Madame Amboise al
ready admitted to herself that when
Monsieur Adolpbe did make an offer of
marriage it would matter very vastly
what Gabrielle thought OF him and Of
if. What she did think it was not easy
to surmisc. Since that first evening
| She had made no remarks TO her aunt
in confidence respecting their neigh
boris son.
Madame Amboise was puzzled 10y
her reticeDce, yet it was plain that she
did not discourage her elderly admirer,
and, from the long, pensive fits that
sometimes came over the girl, her aunt
thought it possible that his marked at
tentions might be making a conquest OF
her prejudices.
They bad not long to wait. Before
three weeks of Monsieur Adolphe s
holiday had gone by there came an
afternoon when he dressed himself in a
solemn. closely fitting frock coat and II
reproachable combinations put his
extremities into the glossies. of hats,
gloves, and boots. and marched with a
resolute step out of his parents front
door to that Of the adjacent house. He
was on his way to make a formal de-
mand for the hand of Monsieur le
Commandant's penniless niece. 1t was
ceremoniOus visit. The Commandani
protested himself overwhelmed with
the honor done him in the person OF
his adopted daughter.
The avocat declared that it was he
himself and no other whom honor
would be done, since one smile or one
word from the peerless Mademoisellc
Gabrielle was of more value to him
than any distinction with which he
might lie tempted.
You know, cher Monsieur" said
the Commandant with a shade OF hest
tation. "that my late lamented brother
had losses in business. My niece is
absolutely and entirely without dowry,
and / am not in position to rectiiy
deficiency"
Monsieur Adolphe waved his shiny
glove with the air of man who dis
misses triGing question. "To sor-
did dowry of pounds, shillings, and
pence | am utterly indifferent. The
iady's own charms form a dowry more
precious in my eyes than q diamond
mine"
To a negotiation &rned on in thi;
spirit there could be but one conclusion
Monsieur Amboise was only too de
lighted 70 give his unqualified consent
to the avocat's unexpected proposal
and TO feel assured, as he bowed hi
visitor out that here was very com
Portable solution to the uncomfortable
problem Of his niece's future.
That evening full liberty was accord
I'd TO the Amboise children to rur
vhithersoever the spirit of mischie
might lead them, while solemn con
clave was held by their seniors over thu
momentous question of Monsieur
Adolphe's proposal.
II wish, ma niece" began Mon
sieur lie Commandant, "to have a feV
minutes conversation with you on
most important subject mean abou
your future. Let me see, you are,
believe, three-and-twenty years o
age ?" 81,
"Three.and. twenty !" cried MADAME
Amboise. my dear Charles she wa
nearly four and twenty when she came
TO us last May year.
"Ah. indeed" replied the Com
mandant. You don't really say so
| should scarcely have believed TIT
time had flown so fast.
"No one grows younger naturally
mon ami" returned Madame Amboise
"apd what is more serious is that wheI
a girl has passed the age of four-and
twenty without single offer OF mar
Rage she has fair chance OF being al
| old maid"